| Kitchen remodeling takes both time and money. A | | | | - entertaining |
| major remodel with top-of-the-line appliances and | | | | - mudroom |
| cabinets can easily run more than $100,000. As for | | | | - traffic hub |
| time, allow at least four months for a remodeling job or, | | | | Enhance your kitchen remodeling project: |
| more realistically, six to eight months. It takes about | | | | - Brainstorm with household members |
| two months for custom cabinet orders, more time for | | | | - Find ideas in model homes, showrooms, home shows, |
| planning, order processing, shipping, demolition, | | | | magazines, books and catalogs |
| installation, moving back into your kitchen and | | | | - Appliances - ovens, stoves, cook tops, refrigerators, |
| re-organization. | | | | dishwashers, range, microwaves, hoods, and exhaust |
| While it's tempting to get started as quickly as possible | | | | fans |
| once you decide to remodel, it's better to catch your | | | | - Cabinets - wood cabinets in oak, maple, cherry, |
| breath, do your homework and think through your | | | | hickory, pine, birch, metal, plastic, cabinet re-facing, |
| plans because you don't have the time or money to | | | | kitchen storage items and kitchen islands |
| make mistakes. | | | | - Countertops - stone, marble, quartz, granite, solid |
| Start with the basics. Consider what the primary uses | | | | surface, wood, metal and Formica |
| of the kitchen will be then collect ideas for enhancing | | | | - Flooring - hardwood flooring, cork, bamboo, laminate, |
| your project. Put some initial thought into this prior to | | | | linoleum flooring, flooring installation, repair and refinishing |
| meeting with a contractor. Following is a checklist of | | | | floors |
| items to consider when planning your kitchen remodel. | | | | - Lighting - light controls, chandeliers, fixtures, lamps, |
| Determine the primary uses of your kitchen: | | | | fluorescent lights, recessed and spot lighting |
| - cooking | | | | - Sinks and Fixtures - kitchen faucets, stainless steel, |
| - food storage | | | | brass, plastic and glass handles |
| - dining | | | | - Windows - skylight windows, double hung and single |
| - equipment / utensil storage | | | | hung windows, casement and garden windows for |
| - specialized food preparation areas | | | | growing herbs and plants |
| - waste disposal | | | | - Select a design professional and/or contractor that |
| - laundry | | | | meets your needs |
| - secondary media center | | | | The more details you can determine prior to your |
| - message station | | | | kitchen remodeling project the better. It will make your |
| - mini-office | | | | remodeling project more efficient and, thus, less |
| - hobby / craft center | | | | expensive. |